Page 342 of My Sweet Dollie, You Have to Love Me
“I am choosing you. I was trying to protect you.”
“I’m not the one who needs protecting. God, Dollie, you’re trying so hard to fight your demons, but you keep jumping into bed with a monster. And it isn’t fucking happening anymore.” Ambrose swallows hard. “I can’t watch you with him. I won’t do it.”
Every word sinks into my soul. My wet eyes drip onto his pillow, leaving a damp patch below me that’s cold on my neck as I nuzzle in closer.
“I’m just afraid. I didn’t want to go back to him last night. I wanted to stay with you. I’m just afraid of telling him no when he’s in a bad mood.”
Ambrose stiffens, his whole body turning rigid and hot as he burns at my side. His eyes narrow into angry slits. “And did that happen last night?” Those narrowing eyes meet mine. “Were you afraid to tell him no last night?”
Subconsciously, my fingers tighten on Ambrose’s tight stomach. Rounded nails dig into his gown, and it’s the only answer I can give before the door to his hospital room opens and crashes into the wall. The noise of heavy wood smashing intoplaster sends my heart leaping into my chest. No doctor would do that, and if they did, a quick apology would follow.
It doesn’t.
I sit up so fast my head spins before my body. Shane steps into the room, his dark shadow acting like a heavy force against my heart.
Without even realizing what I’m doing, my fingers tighten around Ambrose’s hand in a bruising grip as my heart rate speeds up.
His thumb runs over my skin, back and forth, in a soothing motion.
“What the fuck are you doing in bed with him?” Shane snaps.
“What are you doing here?” the whisper creeps out.
“No!” He charges into the room. “You answer my question. Why are you in his fucking bed? I’ve been calling you!”
I sink in on myself as Shane stomps forward to the bed.
“Dollie,” Ambrose whispers close to my ear, tucking behind pink strands and accidentally bumping my earrings.
Slowly turning to Ambrose and away from Shane’s anger, my eyes plead, and my fingers press into him. My body trembles with fear as I sit under Shane’s shadow. The cotton gown between my moving fingers doesn’t soothe me, and I feel panic rising up my throat until I can’t breathe.
“Slow breaths,” he encourages, his perfectly shaped mouth showing me the way.
I focus on his lips, the pretty pink shade so different from the red I usually see.
Ignoring the shaking of the bed from Ambrose’s barely concealed anger, I suck in air and breathe out as he instructs. Small puffs kiss his lips on each exhale.
“There’s no one here.” Pink lips turn red again. “It’s just us.”
“It’s just us?” I scan the room, not seeing Shane anywhere, not seeing the damage he caused to the old plaster.
“I’m going crazy.” My stomach rumbles.
“You’re not crazy. Your mind is just different. Like mine.”
I lean into him, and his arms wrap around me.
“Low blood sugar won’t help if what you’re experiencing are hallucinations. When did you eat last?”
“The bite of pizza, yesterday.”
“That’s not enough, Dollie. Is Shane definitely at work?”
“He left this morning. Nyx is at the house.”
“Okay. Have Annabelle or Val take you home, and have some food.”
“I wanna stay with you?—”
